Resilient Landscapes for a Changing Climate – This year the Seminar will explore the crucial role that our gardens and open spaces play in creating a sustainable and liveable future for our communities. As urbanisation intensifies, there are proposals to reduce garden sizes in newly built housing. Our outdoor spaces have the immense potential to have a positive effect on our lives, support biodiversity and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Date: Saturday, 22nd February 2025
Venue: Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel Conference Centre (click for map) Northwood Park, Santry, Dublin D09 X9X2
Time: Registration opens 8 am. Seminar 9 am-5.30 pm.
Henrik Sjöman Associate Professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Scientific Curator at Gothenburg Botanical Garden and Honoree Research Associate at Royal Botanic Garden Kew. His work is mainly focusing on developing knowledge of site adapted plant use for urban environments including private gardens as well as public parks. How the capacity of different trees will vary in context to its environment and in delivering important ecosystem services has become the prime driver in Henrik’s work and as such how to extend the knowledge of diversifying our treescapes in parks and gardens.
Wendy Allen an experienced multi award-winning UK garden designer, consultant and trainer who specialises in creative, biodiverse rain gardens and rain planters as part of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). Wendy designed many rainscapes for UK Rivers Trust ‘Action for the River Kennet’ (ARK) where she led teams of ARK volunteers within communities and schools to build the projects, which all have a positive benefit for people, rivers and biodiversity. Wendy now shares inspiration, nature based solutions and techniques in talks, lectures and workshops.
Charlotte Hitchmough, has spent her career working in ‘watery’ things, beginning in the water industry, moving to the research councils and then to the Rivers Trust movement. She is Director of Action for the River Kennet and for eight years served on the board of the Rivers Trust. Throughout this time, she has developed and managed award winning projects to protect and improve rivers and their catchments. She is particularly interested in nature-based solutions, and how communities and individuals can reduce their impact on every part of the water environment from water scarcity to pollution and flood risk.
Adam Whitbourn. Anyone who has visited the gardens and grounds surrounding Blarney Castle, which extend to over 70 acres, will know that it is no mean feat to be the Blarney Castle’s Head Gardener. Adam Whitbourn took up this role in 2009, and for the last 15 years, in conjunction with the estate owner Sir Charles Colthurst, he has been instrumental in transforming the gardens into one of Ireland’s finest horticultural gems.
Ann Marie Powell, Ann-Marie Powell’s multi-award-winning garden design practice has seen outdoor spaces as places with exciting possibilities for over twenty years. Based in the U.K., her studio can’t get enough of plants, bold colours and textural contrasts, creating garden habitats that invite a resilient, evolving ecology instead of the traditionally decorated garden. Sustainability is a fundamental value of our approach; she and her team strive to design naturally energetic and bold landscapes to become havens for an abundance of insects and wildlife where our clients live in harmony, up close and personal with the natural world.
Programme
- 08.00 – 09.15 Registration Tea / Coffee
- 09.15 sharp – 9.30(15 mins) Welcome by Kinta Oakes (GLDA Chair)
- 09.30 – 10.15 (40 mins) (+ 5 mins Q&A) Speaker 1 – Charlotte Hitchmough
- 10.15– 10.25 (10 mins) Enrich
- 10.25 – 11.10 (40 mins) (+ 5 mins Q&A) Speaker 2 – Wendy Allen
- 11.10 – 11.40 (30 mins) Morning tea/coffee (served in the breakout area)
- 11.40 – 12.25 (40 mins) (+ 5 mins Q&A) Speaker 3 – Adam Whitbourn
- 12.25– 12.35 (10 mins) Bord Bia
- 12.35 – 12.45 (10mins) Presentation of GLDA Certificates
- 12.45 – 14.15 (90 mins) Lunch (served in the breakout area)
- 14.15 – 15.00 (40 mins) (+ 5 mins Q&A) Speaker 4 – Ann Marie Powell
- 15.00 – 15.10 (10 Mins) Millboard
- 15.10 – 15.40 (30 mins) Afternoon tea/coffee (served in the breakout area)
- 15:40– 16.25 (40 mins) (+ 5 mins Q&A) Speaker 5 – Henrik Sjöman
- 16.25 – 16.55 (30 mins) Afternoon Q&A MC John Smyth
- 16.55 – 17:00 (5 mins) Closing Address – Kinta Oakes, Chair, GLDA
Out of respect for the speakers, we ask delegates to remain in their seats until the seminar has ended. Please refrain from using electronic devices during presentations..
During the seminar breaks, please make sure to visit and support the stands of our sponsors and partners.
Main Sponsor Bord Bia / Bloom
Product Sponsors Enrich Environmental, Millboard
Exhibitors Bord Bia, Enrich Environmental, Millboard, Abito I Live, Alitex, Annaveigh Plants
Avondale Landscapes, Beechill Bulbs, Gutter Bookshop, Hex Lighting, Horticulture Connected, Irritec, Kilsaran Concrete, Neat Gates, Quickcrop, Schram Plants, Soil Renew, Sempergreen, Tuffbau/Steintec
Logos – Landscape Providers, Bespoke Concrete, McEvoy Stone, Tully Nurseries, VESI Environmental
Furniture: Pieces
Tickets:
There are no physical tickets. By receiving this email, you have received confirmation that your name is on the attendance list at the door.
Venue:
Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel, Northwood Park, Santry Demesne, Dublin, D09 KN66. (See map below).
The seminar will be held in the hotel’s Conference Centre, access is available via the hotel’s main entrance.
Parking:
There is a multi-storey carpark beside the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport hotel with a capacity for 300 cars. Parking at the hotel is €5 for the day for seminar delegates. Tickets must be paid for/validated at Reception prior to departure.
Please note, the carpark is shared with a second hotel nearby and space cannot be pre-booked. Strictly first come, first served. If the car park is full there is almost no on-street parking within Northwood Park. There is some public parking at the nearby Santry Park Car Park and it may be possible to find some on-street parking within Royal Oak estate on the opposite side of the R132 from Northwood Park gates. (See map below).
An alternative is to reserve parking at Dublin Airport (3km away) and take the free Crowne Plaza shuttle bus which runs every 30 mins from Zone 16 in the Coach Park at Dublin Airport. Please follow the signs for Zone 16/Coach Park from either Terminal. For further directions visit the Crowne Plaza website.
Public Transport:
Dublin Bus routes: 16 / 27B / 33 / 41 / 41b / 41c
Times:
Registration opens at 8.00am.
The seminar starts promptly at 9.15am.
The seminar will end at 5pm.
Please see the attached timetable for more detailed information including breaks, exhibitors, etc.
Catering:
Tea/Coffee & Biscuits are available during registration, mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
A soup and sandwiches lunch (vegan option available), followed by tea/coffee, will be served.
Bring A Bag:
Please bring a carrier bag with you to the seminar in order to bring home exhibitors’ brochures, etc.
GLDA Contact: Maya Khruslova, Administrator, GLDA, m: 089 258 1171.
